Editing Thrash metal (section)

===Thrash metal in the 1980s===
====Birth and underground expansion (1980–1983)====
Critics argue over who can be thought of as the first thrash metal band to exist. Most credit either British band [[Venom (band)|Venom]] or the genre's so-called "Big Four": [[Metallica]], [[Slayer]], [[Anthrax (American band)|Anthrax]], and [[Megadeth]], with commentators crediting Venom as the first thrash metal band and others tending to favor the "Big Four", though many give equal credit to all those five bands.<ref name="MusicRadar"/><ref name="thrashpioneers"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Lelievre|first=Benoit|url=https://www.deadendfollies.com/blog/metal-outsiders-journey-thrash-metal-and-the-true-birth-of-evil|title=A Subjective History of Thrash Metal|website=deadendfollies.com|access-date=May 14, 2025}}</ref><ref name="tidal">{{cite web|last=Christe|first=Ian|url=https://tidal.com/magazine/article/thrash-metal-year-zero/1-90573|title=1983: Thrash Year's Zero|website=tidal.com|access-date=May 14, 2025}}</ref> The origins of thrash metal have also been traced to [[San Francisco Bay Area]] band [[Exodus (band)|Exodus]], who formed in 1979 and is the fifth band in what is sometimes considered the "Big Five".<ref name="tidal"/> The band released its first demo in 1982, simply titled ''Demo 1982'', which was widely circulated in the tape trading community and is credited for paving the way for the 1980s [[Bay Area thrash metal]] scene.<ref name="tidal"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-story-behind-exodus-bonded-by-blood|title=The story behind Exodus' Bonded By Blood|website=loudersound.com|access-date=May 14, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://lambgoat.com/news/11024/exodus-re-records-bonded-by-blood/|title=Exodus Re-re-records 'Bonded By Blood'|website=lambgoat.com|access-date=May 14, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Blum|first=Jordan|url=https://loudwire.com/charlie-benante-best-thrash-record/|title=Charlie Benante Names 'Best Thrash Record' and It's Surprising|website=loudwire.com|access-date=May 14, 2025}}</ref>  A few commentators argue for other bands, including [[Overkill (band)|Overkill]] and [[Metal Church]] (both of whom formed in 1980), as the earliest bands to play thrash metal before releasing albums.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-complete-history-of-overkill|title=The complete history of Overkill|website=loudersound.com|access-date=May 14, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite mag|url=https://screamermagazine.com/tag/metal-church/|title=Metal Church Archives|magazine=[[Screamer Magazine]]|access-date=May 14, 2025}}</ref>

In 1981, [[Los Angeles]] band [[Leather Charm]] wrote a song entitled "Hit the Lights". Leather Charm soon disbanded and the band's primary songwriter, vocalist/rhythm guitarist [[James Hetfield]], met drummer [[Lars Ulrich]] through a classified advertisement. Together, Hetfield and Ulrich formed Metallica, one of the "Big Four" thrash bands, with lead guitarist [[Dave Mustaine]], who would later form Megadeth, another of the "Big Four" originators of thrash, and bassist [[Ron McGovney]]. McGovney would be replaced by Cliff Burton (formerly of [[Trauma (American band)|Trauma]]), and Mustaine was later replaced by [[Kirk Hammett]] of the then-unsigned Exodus, and at Burton's insistence, the band relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area. Before Metallica had even settled on a definitive lineup, Metal Blade Records executive [[Brian Slagel]] asked Hetfield and Ulrich (credited as "Mettallica") to record "Hit the Lights" for the first edition of his ''[[Metal Massacre]]'' compilation in 1982. A re-recorded version of "Hit the Lights" would later open their first studio album, ''[[Kill 'Em All]]'', released in July 1983.<ref>{{cite web|last=Heller|first=Jason|title=An introduction to the snarling, belligerent rebelliousness of thrash|url=https://www.avclub.com/an-introduction-to-the-snarling-belligerent-rebellious-1798237220|work=[[The A.V. Club]]|date=28 March 2013|access-date=13 July 2013|archive-date=1 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130801160542/http://www.avclub.com/articles/an-introduction-to-the-snarling-belligerent-rebell,95715/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Kill 'Em All'' is widely regarded as the first thrash metal album, and one of the album's tracks "[[Whiplash (Metallica song)|Whiplash]]" has been referred to as one of the first songs of the genre.<ref>{{cite web|first=Paul |last=Elliott |title=The 10 best Metallica songs from the 1980s |website=loudersound.com |date=September 20, 2022 |access-date=October 31, 2024 |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-10-best-metallica-songs-from-the-1980s}}</ref>

Another "Big Four" thrash band formed in Los Angeles in 1981, when guitarists [[Jeff Hanneman]] and [[Kerry King]] met while auditioning for the same band and subsequently decided to form a band of their own. Hanneman and King recruited vocalist/bassist [[Tom Araya]] and drummer [[Dave Lombardo]], and [[Slayer]] was formed. Slayer was discovered by Metal Blade Records executive Brian Slagel; the band's live performance of [[Iron Maiden]]'s "Phantom of the Opera" so impressed him that he promptly signed them to his label. In December 1983, five months after the release of Metallica's debut ''Kill 'Em All'', Slayer released their debut album, ''[[Show No Mercy (Slayer album)|Show No Mercy]]''.

To the north, Canada produced influential thrash and [[speed metal]] bands such as [[Annihilator (band)|Annihilator]], [[Anvil (band)|Anvil]], [[Exciter (band)|Exciter]], [[Razor (band)|Razor]], [[Sacrifice (band)|Sacrifice]], and [[Voivod (band)|Voivod]].

====Mainstream popularity (1984–1989)====
=====First wave (1984–1986)=====
The popularity of thrash metal increased in 1984 with the release of Metallica's sophomore record ''[[Ride the Lightning]]'', as well as Anthrax's debut ''[[Fistful of Metal]]'' and [[Metal Church]]'s [[Metal Church (album)|eponymous debut album]].<ref name="goldminemag"/> Slayer and [[Overkill (band)|Overkill]] released extended plays on independent labels during this era, ''[[Haunting the Chapel]]'' and ''[[Overkill (EP)|Overkill]]'' respectively. This led to a heavier-sounding form of thrash, which was reflected in Exodus' debut album ''[[Bonded by Blood]]'', Slayer's ''[[Hell Awaits]]'' and Anthrax's ''[[Spreading the Disease]]'', all three released in 1985. Several other debut albums were released that same year, including Megadeth's ''[[Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!]]'', Overkill's ''[[Feel the Fire (Overkill album)|Feel the Fire]]'', Kreator's ''[[Endless Pain]]'', Destruction's ''[[Infernal Overkill]]'', [[Possessed (band)|Possessed]]'s ''[[Seven Churches (album)|Seven Churches]]'', [[Celtic Frost]]'s ''[[To Mega Therion (album)|To Mega Therion]]'', [[Watchtower (band)|Watchtower]]'s ''[[Energetic Disassembly]]'' and the [[Sepultura]] EP ''[[Bestial Devastation]]''. ''Seven Churches'' and ''To Mega Therion'' are often credited for pioneering and popularizing the mid-1980s [[extreme metal]] scene (as well as the then-developing genres of [[death metal]] and [[black metal]], respectively),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/30-years-of-possessed-s-seven-churches|title=30 Years Of Possessed's Seven Churches|website=[[Metal Hammer|loudersound.com]]|date=16 October 2015|access-date=August 6, 2022|archive-date=6 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220806164123/https://www.loudersound.com/features/30-years-of-possessed-s-seven-churches|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2015/04/06/celtic-frost-to-mega-therion/|title=Celtic Frost – 'To Mega Therion'|website=[[Decibel (magazine)|decibelmagazine.com]]|date=6 April 2015|access-date=August 6, 2022|archive-date=6 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220806164234/https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2015/04/06/celtic-frost-to-mega-therion/|url-status=live}}</ref> while ''Energetic Disassembly'' has been cited as the first [[progressive metal|progressive/technical thrash metal]] album.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://themetalfiles.com/2009/10/04/watchtower-energetic-disassembly-1985/|title=Watchtower – Energetic Disassembly (1985)|website=The Metal Files|date=5 October 2009|access-date=25 June 2021|archive-date=28 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228140226/https://themetalfiles.com/2009/10/04/watchtower-energetic-disassembly-1985/|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Slayer, The Fields of Rock, 2007.jpg|thumb|Slayer (pictured in 2007) released ''[[Reign in Blood]]'' in 1986, considered a landmark achievement in the genre's history.]]
From a creative standpoint, the year 1986 was perhaps the pinnacle of thrash metal,{{citation needed|date=December 2020}} as a number of critically acclaimed and genre-defining albums were released. Metallica's major label debut ''[[Master of Puppets]]'' was released in March, becoming the first thrash album to be certified platinum, being certified 6× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA); it would be the band's last album to feature bassist [[Cliff Burton]], who was killed in a bus accident six months after its release. Kreator released ''[[Pleasure to Kill]]'' in April 1986, which would later be a major influence on the death metal scene.<ref>{{cite web|first=Cosmo |last=Lee |title=Interview with Cannibal Corpse |url=http://invisibleoranges.com/interviews/cannibalcorpse.html |publisher=[[Invisible Oranges]] |year=2006 |access-date=29 August 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070703180313/http://invisibleoranges.com/interviews/cannibalcorpse.html |archive-date=3 July 2007 }}</ref> Megadeth released ''[[Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?]]'' in September, an album which proved to be the band's commercial and critical breakthrough and which [[AllMusic]] later cited as "a classic of early thrash".<ref>{{cite web|last=Huey|first=Steve|title=Megadeth: Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/peace-sellsbut-whos-buying-bonus-tracks-mw0000650486|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=26 August 2014|archive-date=26 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926062844/http://www.allmusic.com/album/peace-sellsbut-whos-buying-bonus-tracks-mw0000650486|url-status=live}}</ref> Slayer, regarded as one of the most sinister thrash metal bands of the early 1980s,<ref name="Rockd">{{cite web|url=http://www.rockdetector.com/officialbio,8188.sm |title=Slayer band page|publisher=Rockdetector.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930184733/http://www.rockdetector.com/officialbio,8188.sm |archive-date=30 September 2007|access-date=10 August 2010}}</ref>{{unreliable source?|date=March 2016}} released ''[[Reign in Blood]]'' in October, an album considered by some to have single-handedly inspired the death metal genre.<ref>{{cite web|first=Steve|last=Huey|title=Slayer: Reign in Blood|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/reign-in-blood-mw0000191741|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=10 August 2010|archive-date=14 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141014044933/http://www.allmusic.com/album/reign-in-blood-mw0000191741|url-status=live}}</ref> Also in October, [[Nuclear Assault]] released their debut album ''[[Game Over (Nuclear Assault album)|Game Over]]'', followed a month later by [[Dark Angel (band)|Dark Angel]]'s ''[[Darkness Descends]]'', which marked the debut of  drummer [[Gene Hoglan]]. [[Flotsam and Jetsam (band)|Flotsam and Jetsam]]'s debut album ''[[Doomsday for the Deceiver]]'' (released on the [[Independence Day (United States)|Fourth of July]] in 1986) received some attention as well, due to the album being "the first of only a handful" to ever receive a 6K rating from ''[[Kerrang!]]'' magazine, and it is also notable for featuring a then-unknown [[Jason Newsted]], who, not long after the album's release, joined Metallica as Burton's replacement.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.flotstildeath.com/discography/doomsday-for-the-deceiver/|title=Doomsday For The Deceiver (Studio Album) - Flotsam and Jetsam|website=flotstildeath.com|access-date=31 March 2022|archive-date=17 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220117160402/https://www.flotstildeath.com/discography/doomsday-for-the-deceiver/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Also during the mid-to-late 1980s, bands such as [[Suicidal Tendencies]], [[Dirty Rotten Imbeciles|D.R.I.]], [[Stormtroopers of Death|S.O.D.]] (who featured three-fifths of Anthrax), and [[Corrosion of Conformity]] paved the way to what became known as [[crossover thrash]], a fusion genre that lies on a continuum between heavy metal and hardcore punk, and is arguably faster and more aggressive than thrash metal.<ref name="DRI">{{cite web|url=http://www.fullinbloommusic.com/dri-biography-dirty-rotten-imbeciles-band.html|title=D.R.I. - Biography - Dirt Rotten Imbeciles - DRI - Crossover Thrash - Kurt Brecht - Spike Cassidy|website=Fullinbloommusic.com|access-date=6 June 2021|archive-date=17 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917064341/http://fullinbloommusic.com/dri-biography-dirty-rotten-imbeciles-band.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

=====Second wave (1987–1989)=====
[[File:Testament - 2019213171126 2019-08-01 Wacken - 0304 - 5DSR3130.jpg|thumb|right|[[Testament (band)|Testament]] was one of the most successful [[Bay Area thrash metal]] bands of the late 1980s.]]
By the mid-to-late 1980s, thrash metal began to achieve major mainstream success worldwide, with many bands of the genre receiving heavy rotation on [[MTV]]'s ''[[Headbangers Ball]]'',<ref name="MTV HBB"/><ref name="MTV">{{Cite web|title=30 Years Ago: MTV's Headbangers Ball Premieres With Motorhead Mirth|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/headbangers-ball-premiere/|access-date=26 September 2021|website=[[Townsquare Media|ultimateclassicrock.com]]|date=2 May 2017|archive-date=26 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210926153509/https://ultimateclassicrock.com/headbangers-ball-premiere/|url-status=live}}</ref> and radio stations such as [[KBUE#KNAC|KNAC]] in [[Long Beach, California|Long Beach]] and [[Z Rock]] in [[Dallas]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Last KNAC Article|url=http://www.knactribute.com/knacart.html|access-date=26 September 2021|website=knactribute.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060517084511/http://www.knactribute.com/knacart.html|archive-date=17 May 2006}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Z-Rock Top 1001 Songs of All-Time (1990)|url=http://www.rocklists.com/alltime52.html|access-date=26 September 2021|website=rocklists.com|archive-date=2 November 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071102220424/http://www.rocklists.com/alltime52.html|url-status=live}}</ref> as well as coverage on numerous publications, including ''[[Kerrang!]]'' and ''[[Larry Flynt Publications|RIP Magazine]]''. These outlets not only played a major role in the crossover success of thrash metal during this time, but helped push album sales of the genre's "Big Four" and similar bands or moved them from playing clubs to arenas and stadiums.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/get-thrashed-the-story-of-thrash-metal-director-interviewed-video-available|title='Get Thrashed: The Story Of Thrash Metal' Director Interviewed; Video Available|publisher=[[Blabbermouth.net]]|date=August 7, 2008|access-date=May 9, 2024}}</ref>

Anthrax made its mainstream breakthrough in 1987 with the release of their gold-certified album ''[[Among the Living]]'', which borrowed elements from their two previous releases, with fast guitar riffs and pounding drums. Shortly after the release of ''Among the Living'', three Bay Area bands, [[Testament (band)|Testament]], [[Death Angel]] and [[Heathen (band)|Heathen]], respectively released their debut albums ''[[The Legacy (album)|The Legacy]]'', ''[[The Ultra-Violence]]'' and ''[[Breaking the Silence (album)|Breaking the Silence]]''. All of the "Big Four" of [[Teutonic thrash metal]] also released albums in 1987: Kreator's ''[[Terrible Certainty]]'', Destruction's ''[[Release from Agony]]'', Sodom's ''[[Persecution Mania]]'' and Tankard's ''[[Chemical Invasion]]''; those albums cemented their reputations as top-tier German thrash metal bands.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worshipmetal.com/features/german-thrash-10-greatest-old-school-albums/|title=German Thrash: The 10 Greatest Old-School Albums|website=worshipmetal.com|date=February 13, 2015|access-date=May 9, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://rideintoglory.com/bestial-invasion-a-guide-to-teutonic-thrash-metal/|title=Bestial Invasion: A Guide to Teutonic Thrash Metal|website=rideintoglory.com|date=August 18, 2021|access-date=May 9, 2024}}</ref>

In response to thrash metal's growing popularity during this period, several hardcore punk bands began changing their style to a more heavier direction, including [[Suicidal Tendencies]], who are often considered to be one of the "fathers of crossover thrash",<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/articles/features/crossover_thrash_gaining_momentum_once_again-74779|title=Crossover Thrash: Gaining Momentum Once Again?|publisher=[[Ultimate Guitar]]|date=April 29, 2018|access-date=November 27, 2022|archive-date=27 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127223040/https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/articles/features/crossover_thrash_gaining_momentum_once_again-74779|url-status=live}}</ref> and became more recognized as a thrash metal band in the late 1980s (thanks in large part to the presence of guitarists [[Rocky George]] and [[Mike Clark (guitarist)|Mike Clark]]); the band would reach new heights of success with their first two major-label albums, ''[[How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today]]'' (1988) and ''[[Controlled by Hatred/Feel Like Shit... Déjà Vu]]'' (1989).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=116729|title=Sunday Old School: Suicidal Tendencies|publisher=metalunderground.com|date=September 20, 2015|access-date=November 27, 2022|archive-date=27 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127223036/http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=116729|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Dirty Rotten Imbeciles|D.R.I.]]'s music took a similar direction with their last three albums of the 1980s, ''[[Crossover (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album)|Crossover]]'' (1987), ''[[4 of a Kind]]'' (1988), and ''[[Thrash Zone]]'' (1989),<ref name="DRI"/> and other bands would follow suit, including [[The Exploited]], [[Excel (band)|Excel]] (from Suicidal Tendencies' hometown of [[Venice, Los Angeles|Venice]]) and [[New York hardcore]] acts [[M.O.D.]] (fronted by former S.O.D. singer [[Billy Milano]]), the [[Cro-Mags]] and the [[Crumbsuckers]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=
Crossover Thrash Music: A Brief History of Crossover Thrash|url=https://www.masterclass.com/articles/crossover-thrash-music-guide|access-date=19 December 2023|website=[[MasterClass|masterclass.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The 10 Best Crossover Thrash Bands|url=https://www.laweekly.com/the-10-best-crossover-thrash-bands/|access-date=19 December 2023|website=[[LA Weekly|laweekly.com]]|date=23 February 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Sunday Old School: M.O.D.|url=https://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=107622|access-date=19 December 2023|website=metalunderground.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Interviews Gary Meskil (Crumbsuckers, Pro-Pain)|url=https://www.noecho.net/interviews/gary-meskil-crumbsuckers-pro-pain|access-date=19 December 2023|website=noecho.net|date=27 February 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Cro-Mags ➖ 'Best Wishes'|url=https://www.thepensivequill.com/2018/12/cro-mags-best-wishes.html|access-date=19 December 2023|website=TPQ}}</ref>

From 1987 to 1989, Overkill released ''[[Taking Over (Overkill album)|Taking Over]]'', ''[[Under the Influence (Overkill album)|Under the Influence]],'' and ''[[The Years of Decay]]'', three albums considered their best. Each of the "Big Four" of thrash metal bands released albums in 1988: Slayer released ''[[South of Heaven]]'', Megadeth released ''[[So Far, So Good... So What!]]'', Anthrax released ''[[State of Euphoria]]'' while Metallica's ''[[...And Justice for All (album)|...And Justice for All]]'' spawned the band's first video and Top 40 hit, the [[World War I]]-themed song "[[One (Metallica song)|One]]". That same year, Metallica joined [[Van Halen]], [[Scorpions (band)|Scorpions]], [[Dokken]] and [[Kingdom Come (German band)|Kingdom Come]] on the two-month-long arena and stadium tour [[Monsters of Rock]] in North America.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Metal Memories – '80s Concerts: VAN HALEN, METALLICA, SCORPIONS, RAINBOW|url=https://bravewords.com/features/metal-memories-80s-concerts-van-halen-metallica-scorpions-rainbow|access-date=26 September 2021|website=[[Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles|Bravewords.com]]|date=22 June 2021 |archive-date=26 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210926153455/https://bravewords.com/features/metal-memories-80s-concerts-van-halen-metallica-scorpions-rainbow|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Monsters Of Rock US 1988: The Making Of Metallica|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/monsters-of-rock-us-1988-the-making-of-metallica|access-date=26 September 2021|website=[[Metal Hammer|Loudersound.com]]|date=13 November 2019|archive-date=26 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210926153453/https://www.loudersound.com/features/monsters-of-rock-us-1988-the-making-of-metallica|url-status=live}}</ref> In the spring of 1989, Anthrax teamed up with Exodus and [[Helloween]] on a [[Headbangers Ball Tour|US arena tour]] sponsored by ''Headbangers Ball''.<ref name="MTV"/><ref>{{Cite web|title=Maximum Metal Columns: Tales from the Jugular|url=http://www.maximummetal.com/columns/tales/col-tftj.asp?page=147|access-date=26 September 2021|website=maximummetal.com|archive-date=26 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210926153509/http://www.maximummetal.com/columns/tales/col-tftj.asp?page=147|url-status=live}}</ref>

Sepultura's third album, ''[[Beneath the Remains]]'' (1989), earned them some mainstream appeal as it was released by [[Roadrunner Records]]. Testament's second and third albums, ''[[The New Order (album)|The New Order]]'' (1988) and ''[[Practice What You Preach]]'' (1989), nearly gained them the same level of popularity as the "Big Four",<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Lee|first=Cosmo|title=Get Thrashed: The Story of Thrash Metal|url=http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/movie_review/get-thrashed-the-story-of-thrash-metal.htm|magazine=[[Stylus Magazine]]|date=7 May 2007|access-date=28 January 2014|archive-date=25 December 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081225230004/http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/movie_review/get-thrashed-the-story-of-thrash-metal.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=D.X. |last=Ferris |title=Talkin' Thrash |url=http://www.clevescene.com/2007-08-08/music/talkin-thrash |work=[[Cleveland Scene]] |date=8 August 2007 |access-date=3 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071110222020/http://www.clevescene.com/2007-08-08/music/talkin-thrash |archive-date=10 November 2007 }}</ref> while [[Exodus (band)|Exodus]]' third album ''[[Fabulous Disaster]]'' (1989) garnered the band their first music video and one of their most recognized songs, the [[Moshing|mosh-pit]] anthem "[[The Toxic Waltz (song)|The Toxic Waltz]]".<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Story Behind The Song: The Toxic Waltz by Exodus|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/exodus-the-story-behind-the-toxic-waltz|access-date=19 December 2023|website=[[Metal Hammer|Loudersound.com]]|date=23 April 2020}}</ref> [[Vio-lence]], [[Forbidden (band)|Forbidden]], and [[Sadus]], three relative latecomers to the Bay Area thrash metal scene, released their debut albums ''[[Eternal Nightmare (Vio-lence album)|Eternal Nightmare]]'', ''[[Forbidden Evil (album)|Forbidden Evil]],'' and ''[[Illusions (Sadus album)|Illusions]]'', respectively, in 1988; the latter album demonstrated a sound that was primarily driven by the fretless bass of [[Steve Di Giorgio]]. Also in 1988, [[Blind Illusion]] released its only studio album for more than two decades, ''[[The Sane Asylum]]'', which received some particular attention as it was produced by [[Kirk Hammett]], and is also notable for featuring bassist [[Les Claypool]] and former Possessed guitarist [[Larry LaLonde]]; after its release, the two would later team up together in Claypool's then-upcoming band [[Primus (band)|Primus]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Metal Crypt - Blind Illusion Interview|url=https://www.metalcrypt.com/pages/interviews.php?intid=791|access-date=19 December 2023|website=metalcrypt.com|date=28 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Progressive thrash vets Blind Illusion celebrate new album at Petaluma's Phoenix Theater|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/progressive-thrash-metal-vets-blind-illusion-celebrate-new-album-phoenix-theater-petaluma/|access-date=19 December 2023|website=[[CBS News|CBS San Francisco]]|date=8 April 2023}}</ref>

Canadian thrashers [[Annihilator (band)|Annihilator]] released their highly technical debut ''[[Alice in Hell]]'' in 1989, which was praised for its fast riffs and extended guitar solos. In Germany, Sodom released ''[[Agent Orange (album)|Agent Orange]]'', and Kreator would release ''[[Extreme Aggression]]''. Several highly acclaimed albums associated with the sub-genre of technical thrash metal were also released in 1989, including Coroner's ''[[No More Color]]'', Dark Angel's ''[[Leave Scars]]'', [[Toxik]]'s ''[[Think This]],'' and [[Watchtower (band)|Watchtower]]'s ''[[Control and Resistance]]'', which has been recognized and acknowledged as one of the cornerstones of [[jazz fusion|jazz-metal fusion]] and a major influence on the [[technical death metal]] genre,<ref>{{cite web|title=Agoraphobic News' Top 45 metal albums of 1989!|url=http://agoraphobic-news.com/articles_view.php?url=agoraphobic_news_top_45_metal_albums_of_1989|work=Agoraphobic News|date=26 June 2019|access-date=17 March 2021|archive-date=28 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228140226/http://agoraphobic-news.com/articles_view.php?url=agoraphobic_news_top_45_metal_albums_of_1989|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://metalindex.hu/2019/11/15/control-was-just-the-natural-progression-for-us/|title="Control was just the natural progression for us"|website=metalindex.hu|date=15 November 2019|access-date=17 March 2021|archive-date=14 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114145614/https://metalindex.hu/2019/11/15/control-was-just-the-natural-progression-for-us/|url-status=live}}</ref> while [[Forced Entry (band)|Forced Entry]]'s debut album ''[[Uncertain Future]]'' helped pioneer the late 1980s [[Music of Seattle|Seattle music]] scene.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Seattle Metal Scene|url=http://www.knaclive.com/article.asp?ArticleID=511|work=[[KNAC]].com|date=7 March 2002|access-date=16 March 2021|archive-date=20 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420232506/http://www.knaclive.com/article.asp?ArticleID=511|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=20 Of The Greatest Technical Thrash Albums Of The 1980's!|url=http://www.worshipmetal.com/features/20-of-the-greatest-technical-thrash-albums-of-the-1980s/|work=Worship Metal|date=29 March 2020|access-date=16 March 2021|archive-date=18 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418075828/http://www.worshipmetal.com/features/20-of-the-greatest-technical-thrash-albums-of-the-1980s/|url-status=live}}</ref>